Infrastructure

The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) infrastructure related work includes oversight of utility electric and gas infrastructure. Significant new infrastructure investments are required in order to support the State’s transition to a low-carbon energy infrastructure. To realize these goals, including bringing renewable energy from remote areas of the State to urban load centers, new transmission lines have been planned and built. At the same time, significant investments to improve distribution level infrastructure are required to improve the safety, delivery and reliability of electricity and gas.

The CPUC has primary ratemaking jurisdiction over the funding of distribution related expenditures generally for power lines of 66 kV (kilovolts) or less. While, the CPUC does not have ratemaking responsibility for transmission lines, the CPUC does have a significant role in permitting transmission and substation facilities. Staff oversees the development of environmental documents in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In addition to permitting responsibilities, the CPUC actively oversees a variety of other infrastructure related policy and program areas, including interconnection (utility tariffs related to interconnection of non-utility generators to the electric grid), reliability and distribution infrastructure, Section 851, smart grid undergrounding, and lastly, electric and communications infrastructure safety.

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